Carpenters, woodworkers and others involved in the construction of structures, furniture and other goods typically rely on some form of measuring tool in laying out the dimensions of the object being constructed. Perhaps the most common tool of this sort is the tape measure. Despite its popularity, however, the typical tape measure is not always easy to use, given the frequency and typical conditions of use. For instance, carpenters must often take several measurements in multiple directions from one position. As a result, many of the measurements must be read "upside-down" as tape measures are frequently marked in only one orientation. Furthermore, measurements must often be made in many different intervals, i.e., eighths or sixteenths of an inch. A typical tape measure may use very similar markings between such intervals, increasing the risk of an erroneous reading. In construction, measurements are typically made in a single unit, such as inches. Nonetheless, many tape measures are marked in mixed units, such as feet and inches, further increasing the risk of erroneous readings.
Users must frequently identify some fraction of an overall measurement, e.g., a carpenter may need to know the center-point of board he or she has just measured. Tape measures typically do not provide mechanisms for readily identifying such a fraction.
Some measurements made during construction occur on regularly repeating intervals, such as laying studs on sixteen or twenty-four inch centers. It would be desirable to provide a tape measure that easily allows these repetitive measurements to be made.